Uraidla Primary School newsletter

A message from Margie   

Reconciliation Action 

We are enthusiastically preparing to celebrate National Reconciliation Week next week. On Monday we'll launch our Zenadth Kes (Torres Stright Islander) flag, and then the students will participate in 8 different activities to learn more about First Nations culture and people in cross-age groups. On Wednesday Deanne Hanchant-Nicols will come and teach Kaurna language to our students. All week classes will focus on learning about First Nations people today, their resilience, their accomplishments and what we can learn from them.

 

We are also excited to be close to submitting our school's first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)  through the Narragunnawali website Narragunnawali - Narragunnawali Home, ready for publication and celebration in NAIDOC week later this term. We're very grateful to our RAP team who have worked hard over the past 2 years to get us to this point; thank you Lou Turner and Bec Edser, Anna Price, Jess DeCampo, Samantha Bateman, Sam Irvine, Katie Martin and Stephen Tsiaprakas .  

 

Do you remember the reconciliation postcards you all completed and sent in last year? From these, we developed our RAP vision: 

 

At Uraidla Primary School our vision for Reconciliation is to

  • Acknowledge First Nations peoples of Australia and their enduring connection to, ownership and custodianship of the lands, seas and waterways. In particular, in this respect, we acknowledge Kaurna and Peramangk peoples, both past and present, on whose Land our school stands.
  • Create a place of ‘two-way’ learning where people of all ages and backgrounds have opportunities to experience, build respect for, and proudly celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
  • With a focus on truth-telling, respectfully incorporate teaching about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures into our school curriculum, to promote understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, wisdom and continuing contributions.
  • Engage with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, developing trust and respect, and building partnerships and relationships, to build our cultural understanding.

Uraidla Primary School’s vision for reconciliation is a more just and equitable Australia where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, cultures and spirituality are actively valued for the ways in which they continue to enrich Australian society. We envision a country where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures are respected and celebrated, and we work together for the shared future of our children.

 

We have 19 Actions as part of the plan:

  1. CELEBRATE NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK
  2. WELCOME TO COUNTRY
  3. CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS FOR STAFF
  4. TEACH ABOUT RECONCILIATION
  5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
  6. ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER FLAGS
  7. LOCAL SITES, EVENTS AND EXCURSIONS
  8. CELEBRATE RAP PROGRESS
  9. CREATE STAKEHOLDER LIST
  10. RECONCILIATION PROJECTS
  11. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY
  12. EXPLORE CURRENT AFFAIRS AND ISSUES
  13. VISIBLY DEMONSTRATE RESPECT FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CULTURES
  14. TAKE ACTION AGAINST RACISM
  15. CURRICULUM PLANNING
  16. INCLUSIVE POLICIES
  17. RAP BUDGET ALLOCATION
  18. STAFF ENGAGEMENT WITH RAP
  19. ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE IN THE CLASSROOM

These actions will be displayed in the school gym this week, along with descriptions and

 plans for 2023 under each category. We welcome you to come along and read about our actions, and add any suggestions or questions you may have so that we have everyone's voice in our RAP before we submit it in the coming weeks.  

 

Happy National Reconciliation Week everyone!

Walk Safely to School Day

We had a great turnout for Walk Safely to School last Friday. It was so interesting to arrive at school and see only one car in the parking area!

Staffing news

Lizzie Kemp is extending her parental leave for the remainder of this year to spend time with her daughter Ellie. We hope to see Lizzie back here next year. 

 

Emily Morgan will be finishing up as our Pastoral Care Worker at the end of this term. We'd like to thank her most sincerely for the warmth and care she has brought to the role over the past 3 years, and the positive difference she has made to students across the school. We will miss Emily and wish her all the best for the future.  

 

The Pastoral Care Worker position is currently being advertised. Please feel free to contact me by email or SeeSaw for further information if you or someone you know may be interested in taking on this role. 

Fitbits at school 

Thank you for following our Mobile Phone policy and refraining from sending your student to school with mobile phones or smartwatches. We've had some discussions about Fitbits, and have decided that these are ok as long as they are not connected to a device, or the associated device is in flight mode. Please feel free to check with me if you are unsure of the circumstances for your child's device or watch. Thank you!

Kiwanis Terrific Kids Term 1 

Last term we were very happy to present our 'Terrific Kids' awards to Florence Madden and Indi Hampton. Congratulations Flo and Indi! 🎈✨

 

Have a great fortnight everyone! 

 

Margie